Radio presenter and releasing artist Marz Fay is determined to be a voice that we should hear…

Musician, radio presenter and even social-media whizz for TalkSport by the age of 21, Marz Fay has got more irons in the fire than your average blacksmith.
Her bi-weekly show on Reprezent Radio champions up-and-coming musical talent - a passion we know well - while her own genre-defying music and purpose-filled videos are racking up tens of thousands of plays across TikTok, Spotify and YouTube. We got in touch with Marz to find out more.

Hey Marz. What was it that got you started in this industry?

It was the music side of things. I’ve always loved music. I was a little guitar girl when I was younger, watching loads of YouTube videos, mostly learning Ed Sheeran songs. And then in terms of radio, I was in quite an academic school and they never really pushed us to explore our creative side. When I finished school, I went to Uni and it was just not my vibe. So I was like ‘You know what, I’m going to try radio’. And I did a course with Reprezent Radio, every Monday night, and I just loved it. This was something that I’d actually want to do. And from there on, I just really put 100% into radio, emailing every radio station asking for opportunities. But I didn’t start off as a presenter, I started off behind the scenes editing videos for them, doing production, cleaning music and all that sort of stuff for about a year.

Was it the production side of things you learned on the course?

We learned a bit of everything, including how to record ourselves as a presenter. I had to show my personality within the station behind the scenes. And then I just basically hassled them to get a show.

I did get a show at Beat FM, but then I moved to Reprezent.

So what is your show all about?

I want to represent the up-and-coming artists and I think the station in itself is very much a big part of what we do. I’m giving a voice to people and just providing them with a space to really share their journey with us.

There’s been a lot of people who have come up through Reprezent Radio like Jay Huss, getting their first plays on there.

In terms of the presenters, going on to bigger radio stations like Capital Extra or BBC, Reprezent is a place where most people start off. People like Snoochie Shy [BBC Radio 1Xtra] and Henrie Kwushue [Kiss FM], they started off at Reprezent, so it’s a good place to be at.

How do you find the artists that you champion?

I’m very big on the open-mic scene, because I perform myself at open mics. That’s how I find a lot of the artists that I get on, through just connecting in-person at these open-mic nights. At first I was approaching a lot of people that I really rated, but I think now I’m starting to establish myself as a presenter who is going to put on these up-and-coming artists, when someone knows they’re going to be dropping music, I get emails. I listen to everything that comes through there.

You also work with Talksport as well, right?

Yeah. So, I’m a video editor at Talksport. I help to run their TikTok page, and actually started their TikoTok page because I was a young person coming in there. And they were, like, ‘TikTok. What?’. I do a lot of social media stuff for them.

Do you have a style of music that you’re into?

I actually don’t have a specific genre I listen to - my playlist, one minute I could be listening to Oasis and then next minute I’m listening to drum and bass. I wouldn’t even be able to pick one specific genre.

Cool. OK, and what about your own music, as an artist?

I would say in terms of my own style it’s like trap, melodic and some songs that have the essence of alternative rock. And then I also like poppy, too. I know I just said, like, four genres, but I feel like my music takes from each of them.

Has working radio helped you to produce your own music?

Yeah, 100%, radio definitely helps me with my music in terms of networking, too, because I meet artists every single week. I’m currently working on a fully collaborative project. So, artists that have come through my show and I’ve done interviews with, I’m basically trying to do a seven-track EP collaborating with them

Building that project, that kind of stemmed from my radio show. I think it will allow me to establish myself in the music industry as someone who also wants to bring up a lot of other people and just have that as part of my character.

In terms of production, it definitely helps. Because I know what radio likes to see now… what presenters want to see to get your song played.

You have really got a lot going on at a young age!

I mean, yeah, sometimes I don’t feel it. As far as social media goes, you’re always gonna be thinking you could be doing more and more and more, but I guess that’s what’s always gonna make me grow, having that mindset. But sometimes I do need to take a step back.

Do you have a specific element that you like the most?

I love the writing process. Even if it’s not a song, like, I’ll write poetry. And then I love translating a song into visual ideas. So, for example, like brainstorming music videos and the story behind the music video, and then even just thinking how I can translate a song on to TikTok.

I’ve edited all my music videos so far that I’ve put up because I’m really particular and kind of annoying to work with sometimes because I know exactly how I want it to be. And I get to that point.

So, in five years’ time, where would you like to be? Huge radio star or huge music star?

Primarily, I want to be like an international musician going on world tours with millions of listeners a month and having my own headline shows. That’s like the main thing, being an artist.

But then in terms of radio, when I get to that point, I’d want to have a monthly specialists show on one of the big stations. I really enjoy radio. And I really enjoy putting on up-and-coming talent as well.

Have you got new music coming out?

I actually have a music video, a song coming out in collaboration with an artist called Kings Cvstle and the music video is based upon LGBT love.

I’m a lesbian and I really want that to be part of the message I share as an artist because there may be a lot of LGBT artists, but I don’t hear them, really, especially in the UK. I don’t really know anyone who really, really talks on that within their music, really touches on, like, lesbian love.

I really want to be an artist that represents that community and shares that message. I’d say that’s a big part of what I want to do, in terms of music.